Article: Go Card system may be beefed up with extra incentives

[ozbob]

At long last, the message is starting to be heard.  Incentive fares, sound familiar?  Marvellous what looming elections can do ... 

From the Courier Mail click here!

Go Card system may be beefed up with extra incentives

Go Card system may be beefed up with extra incentives
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Craig Johnstone

November 12, 2008 11:00pm

PUBLIC transport authorities may load more passenger incentives into the Go Card in a move to improve southeast Queensland's transport network.
It is as part of a major review of fares and pricing.

And in a sign there is a big shift in the Bligh Government's transport planning, the state's top transport bureaucrat said yesterday congestion was not a bad thing for major cities.

Stunned by the rapid take-up of public transport, the Government is looking to overseas transit systems that use smartcard technology for fares.

The Transport Department's director-general David Stewart yesterday said the Octopus card system operating in Hong Kong gave users fare credits if they used the fares on the same day.

He told a high-level forum on future transport options that the TransLink transit authority was looking at "better options for pricing public transport services".

"Public transport growth is continuing to outstrip our expectations," he told the Committee for Economic Development forum.

There had been a 38 per cent growth across the southeast Queensland network over the past three years, with 17 million trips taken every month, he said.

Mr Stewart, who helped to deliver the Bligh Government's water grid and other big infrastructure projects, said the Government was heading to more use of high-occupancy toll lanes to manage congestion on major arterial roads.

He echoed Premier Anna Bligh's new international expert on transport issues, Professor George Hazel, by insisting that congestion was not necessarily bad for a city.

"I think a certain level of congestion is a good thing because it is a sign of a vibrant economy," he said.

Professor Hazel, who has suggested free public transport be part of the sale offer on residential units, has been recruited by Ms Bligh to help local authorities come up with a new plan to manage traffic congestion.

The issue of toll lanes is likely to be part of a new integrated regional transport policy expected to be rolled out by the Government in coming months.

[ozbob]

My blog comment:

At long last, the message is starting to be heard!  Incentive fares, sound familiar?  Marvellous what looming elections can do ... 

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) has been calling for these initiatives for some time now.  Congestion management is more than just chucking more and more resources on the busways and rail. Although this is fundamental to have the base capacity, using incentive fares and the go card does provide an excellent mechanism to widen peaks and so forth. 

Other states and jurisdictions have implemented these sort of measures some time ago, it takes electoral pressure to get results here in the smart state.

[Emmie]

I was sent an on-line survey by A.C. Neilsen yesterday, and have just spent 20 minutes filling it in.  Reading between the lines, the options Translink are considering seem to include:

- a Go Card with a weekly cost of $30 for 4 zones, with unlimited travel within those zones (Great!)
- a Go Card with a weekly cost of $30 for 4 zones, where all trips (over 23 zones) are free after the first 10 trips (Great! - especially for Gold Coast hotels! - surely not realistic, but a great incentive to get non-public transport users into the system)
- a Go Card with a weekly cost of $30 for 4 zones, topped at $46, at which point more money is required for further travel (a puzzle, this, as it implies the continued existence of a single-ticket fare, to work out what you get for $46)

I was also asked whether I would be interested in discounts (coffee? flowers???) or frequent user points.  I can't seem much point to this - airline loyalty programs are to stop people switching to another airline, but we don't have much alternative to Translink.

There was also - less encouragingly - the implication in the questions that a new system would NOT include discounted tickets either for concession ticket holders or for off-peak travel.

Emmie

[ozbob]

Thanks Emmie for the update!  Interesting.

I am certain concession fares will be retained.

Regards
Bob

[ozbob]

Had a look at survey options (available here at the ATDB).

I think the questions are a bit loaded to see what general reactions are.

I think concession fares on the go card weekly/monthly options are essential for students (school and tertiary) and pensioners who travel daily with work responsibilities as volunteers etc.  I guess the present fare structure will stay as a base fare for concessions in any case, but I think it will generate a bit of backlash if they don't have the concession fares on the other options.

Still, there is some movement at the station.

[ozbob]

The fare options in the survey are:

1.  Pre-pay saver.  Buy travel in $15 blocks of travel.  All trips 20% discount, credit can be used for any journey and does not expire.  It doesn't say explicitly but I think concessions fares would be available on this?

2.  Any zone weekly. You nominate the number of zones you wish to take your first ten trips, travel outside your nominated zones will have an excess fare.  Once you have made ten trips in the week using the go card further travel in the remainder of the week is free without restriction across all zones 1 to 23.  Off peak and concessions not available.

3. Any zone capped value plans.  This one you nominate the number of zones you intend to travel in for the week or month.  However the number of journeys you make during the week or month is capped to the value of the plan.  For a zone 3 you pay$27 and you get $41 travel worth for example.  The plan expires at the end of the week/month whether the money is used or not.  Travel outside your nominated zones would be additional. No off peak or concession.

4.  Nominated zones unlimited travel.  This option nominate your normal zones for the week/month.  The number of journeys in the zones nominated is unlimited.  End of each week/month purchase another plan as required.  Travel outside the nominated zones not included and would be paid separately.  No off peak or concession.

Considering the options as presented in the survey I would prefer option 2, but with a concession fare as well.

[ozbob]

From Brisbane mX 17th November 2008 page 1

A fare exchange



Must say I am delighted to read the comments by the TransLink spokesman "This long term strategy ... will provide a fair and equitable integrated ticketing system".

Great stuff!

[O_128]

Well it is a start .I quite like option 2 
How soon can these changes be implemented.
Possibly trial these on a line aswell?

[ozbob]

Media Release 18 November 2008

SEQ:  Go card new fare option survey strongly supported!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has welcomed the survey on some possible new fare structures for the Go card.  Public transport commuters everywhere have consistently highlighted the need for fair and equitable fares for all and cost incentives to drive Go card up take (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The Go card is generally very convenient and promises much for the improved efficiency of public transport on the TransLink network if there is a high uptake."

"The go card education and awareness campaign announced last weekend by Minister Mickel is every welcome. We have previously suggested that such a campaign is needed."

"The fare options canvassed in the survey (2) will be a huge leap forward for the Go card if implemented."

"Our only concerns are that the weekly/monthly caps may not be offered as concession fares.  This could be very discriminatory to full time students and for example, retired pensioners and others who do volunteer work and use public transport daily, and the need for some consideration be given to off peak discounts on all plans to help ease peak congestion."

"RAIL Back On Track would also like to see the opportunity given to all public transport commuters to comment on the various new Go card fare options."

"We would however like to congratulate the TransLink Transit Authority for moving forward with improved fare structures for the Go card."

"It is time to Go!"

References:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=429.0

2.  The fare options in the survey summarised are:

a.  Pre-pay saver.  Buy travel in $15 blocks of travel.  All trips 20% discount, credit can be used for any journey and does not expire.  It doesn't say explicitly but we assume concessions fares would be available on this fare.

b.  Any zone weekly. You nominate the number of zones you wish to take your first ten trips, travel outside your nominated zones will have an excess fare.  Once you have made ten trips in the week using the go card further travel in the remainder of the week is free without restriction across all zones 1 to 23.  Off peak and concessions not available.

c.  Any zone capped value plans.  This one you nominate the number of zones you intend to travel in for the week or month.  However the number of journeys you make during the week or month is capped to the value of the plan.  For a zone 3 you pay$27 and you get $41 travel worth for example.  The plan expires at the end of the week/month whether the money is used or not.  Travel outside your nominated zones would be additional. No off peak or concession.

d.  Nominated zones unlimited travel.  This option nominate your normal zones for the week/month.  The number of journeys in the zones nominated is unlimited.  End of each week/month purchase another plan as required.  Travel outside the nominated zones not included and would be paid separately.  No off peak or concession.

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[O_128]

WHAT,No concession that is discriminatory and offensive to all students and pensioners.